Synodicon in Gallia reformata, or, The acts, decisions, decrees, and canons of those famous national councils of the reformed churches in France being I. a most faithful and impartial history of the rise, growth, perfection and decay of the reformation in that kingdom, with its fatal catastrophe upon the revocation of the Edict of Nants in the year 1685 : II. the confession of faith and discipline of those churches : III. a collection of speeches, letters, sacred politicks, cases of conscience, and controversies in divinity, determined and resolved by those grave assemblies : IV. many excellent expedients for preventing and healing schisms in the churches and for re-uniting the dismembred body of divided Protestants : V. the laws, government, and maintenance of their colleges, universities and ministers, together with their exercise of discipline upon delinquent ministers and church-members : VI. a record of very many illustrious events of divine providence relating to those churches : the whole collected and composed out of original manuscript acts of those renowned synods : a work never be extant in any language.

CHAP. III. Discipline exercised upon Delinquents.

Particular Matters.

THe Council having heard and considered the Proceedings against James le Fevre, his Excommunication, and the publick Penance imposed on him by the Authority of the last Provincial Synod held at Gien, and the De∣portment of the said Le Fevre in undergoing publick Penance, together with its Consequences; and having understood the whole of that Affair partly from the Relation of the Brethren, and partly from his own Confession; the Council is of Opinion, That the said James le Fevre hath not well nor due∣ly made that publick Confession which was injoyned him, nor given Testi∣mony of his Repentance; and for this cause the Excommunication denoun∣ced against him, shall abide in its full power and vigour: and therefore the Council hath declared, and doth now again declare him a Man uncapable of serving the Church of God until such time as he shall have first undergone publick Penance in the Church of Bourges; in which Penance shall be de∣clared the Facts contained in the Article of the said Synod of Gien touching this matter: And moreover, this shall be added, That by his Replies and Murmurings he had shewn himself Refractory and Disobedient to the Dis∣pline of the Church: And whenas there shall be good Evidences of his Repentance, he may be received into the Communion of the Lord's Sup∣per.

II. As to those matters concerning David de Brosses, who calling himself Minister of the Church of Melun; after hearing the Charge brought in a∣gainst him by the Deputies of the Church of Paris, who had opposed his Election, because of the wicked Doctrine formerly broach'd by the said Da∣vid, and because of the Troubles and Schisms excited by him, particularly in the Church of Melun, and because of his wicked and debauched Life, which hath occasion'd a Process of Enormous Crimes to be commenced against him, and from which he hath not purged himself before the Consistory; the proofs of all these matters having been laid down in Writing, read and dili∣gently considered, divers Brethren, Ministers of God's Holy Word, having been heard also, both as to the Doctrine published by the said David, and his Life and Conversation: The Council judgeth the Opposition founded by the Church of Paris against him, to be good and valid; the Election of the said David made by the Church of Melun to be null, void, and of no force nor ef∣fect: And farthermore, the said Council hath declared, and doth delare the said David uncapable of the Ministry of the Gospel, until such time as he shall have manifested his Innocency before a National Synod of the Reform∣ed Churches in this Kingdom: Yea, moreover, the said Council hath ex∣communicated him out of the Church, until such time as he shall have testi∣fied publickly his Repentance, by confessing publickly his Sin, and that in the Church of Melun, which he hath troubled by his Schism, in case he re∣turn unto it, or in any Church unto which he would hereafter joyn himself; and that Church having good Evidences and Testimonials of his Repentance, may receive him unto Communion with it in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. But and if the said David despising the present Decree of this Council, shall hereafter intrude himself into any Church, and cause new Troubles and Divisions in it; then this Council commands that Province, in which the said David shall be, and reside, to Formalize itself against him: and upon this account the Church of Paris shall be obliged to furnish the said Pro∣vince

with Proofs which it hath now, or may have had heretofore lying by against the said David; that so he may be proceeded against in such a man∣ner as shall be thought most advisable for the Repose of the Church.

III. Touching the matter propounded by the Minister of Paris, the Coun∣cil is of Opinion, That the Marriage pretended to be broken by reason of Spiritual Kinred, doth remain firm, and in its full power: and therefore the second Marriage which hath since intervened is null, and these second married Persons are excommunicated because of their Adulteries, until such time as they have done publick Penance, and shall have duely evidenced their Re∣pentance.

IV. Whereas our Brother the Minister of Varennes, in Picardy, doth usu∣ally administer the Lord's Supper every Month, the Council doth advise, That our Brother of Mont-mejor do admonish him in the Council's Name, to follow the general Practice of our Churches, that so there may be no Diver∣sity among us, and our Uniformity may be preserved.

V. The Churches are advertised, to take notice of a Fellow called Frede∣rick Thierry, formerly an Augustin Fryar; as also of another called Marmande, as being Vagrants.

VI. 'Tis the Judgment of this Council, That a Minister being imployed in the Church, may not ordinarily exercise any other Calling, nor receive Wages for it. Our Brother of Britain moved this Question.

VII. As to that Book entituled, A Treatise of Christian Discipline and Po∣lity; composed and published by John Morelly, the Council judges, That as to the Points concerning the Discipline of the Church, by which he pretends to condemn and subvert the Order received in our Churches, sounded upon the Word of God, that the said Book contains wicked Doctrine, and tends to the Confusion and Dissipation of the Church; and therefore the said Council cautions the Faithful to take heed of the aforesaid Doctrine.

VIII. A Remonstrance being made by the Church of Poictiers, about an Appeal brought by the People of the City of Loudun, from a Decree of the Provincial Synod of Poictou, held at Niort, concerning the Fact of Maturin Sibileau, the said Appeal having been signified to the Church of Poictiers, on behalf of the said People of Loudun; the Decrees both of the Pro∣vincial Synod held at Partinay, and of the Synod of Niort, were read and considered. Whereupon this present Council hath, and doth send back the Knowledge of the said Cause unto the next Provincial Synod of Touraine, which by the Authority of this Council, shall pass a Definitive Judgment upon these Persons, although they were absent, provided their Absence be not out of Contumacy, and they had been duely informed of the meeting of that Synod. And in the mean while it is ordained, That both the said Sibileau, and the said People of Loudun, shall yeild Obedience to the Sy∣nod of Niort: And to this purpose the Church of Poictiers is required to signifie this present Sentence; and the Church of Tours is to Assemble the said Provincial Synod.

IX. A Petition being presented by Madam Margaret de la Voirie, con∣cerning a Marriage pretended to have been contracted between her and the Noble William de Schilhant: The Council has approved, and doth approve of that Sentence given by the Provincial Synod of Touraine, held at Mans the last October, by which the said Marriage was declared Incestuous, be∣cause the said De Schilhant had formerly espoused the Sister of the said Petiti∣oner, whereunto it does injoyn the said Lady quietly to submit, and to ob∣serve it with Repose and Tranquility of Conscience; moreover, the Council exhorts her to return unto her own Church, there to make such Acknow∣ledgment of her Fault, as the Consistory shall think meet.

X. Having heard the Remonstrance made by our Brother the Deputy of Poictou, concerning Peter Boulay, who had intruded himself into the Ministry

of the Church of Niort: The Council ratifies and approves the Determina∣tion of the Provincial Synod held at Niort, by which the said Boulay was declared uncapable and insufficient to be chosen into the Ministry of the Gospel, until such time as he had given proofs of his Sufficiency be∣fore the Provincial Synod of Poictou. Moreover, this present Council hath ordained, That this very Advice shall be signified both unto the said Boulay, and to all those who do abett him, by our Brethren La Fo∣rest and De Thire, who making report unto the next approaching Sy∣nod of Poictou, of the Obedience or Rebellion of the said Boulay, and his Abettors; a final Period shall be put unto this Affair according to the Rules of our Church-Discipline. And the Council leaves it to the Wisdom of the next ••ynod, whether it be expedient for the common Edification, of the Church, that our brother De la Fayole be not also removed from Niort.

XII. There shall be no Alteration made in that Article of our Disci∣pline touching the Choice of Ministers: and the Council hath ordain∣ed, That* 1.1 Mr. John Rebitt do sign the Confession of Faith, and Articles of Discipline; and moreover, doth expresly forbid him so Teach in his Le∣ctures Doctrine contrary unto them; that so there may be no Disunion in the Church: and if he should refuse Submission to this Advise of the Coun∣cil, he shall be sent back to the Consistory of that City, to be dealt withal according to the Canons of our Church-Discipline.

XII. As to that Question moved by our Brother of Orleance, the Coun∣cil hath, and doth leave it to the liberty of the respective Consistories, to judge of those who may be sit to assist at the Examination of Candidates for the Ministry, as may be most expedient for their Edification, yet so as they shall not suffer any besides the Members of the said Consistory to ex∣amine them.

XIII. The Council judgeth it inconvenient to publish from the Pulpit, the Articles of our Discipline; yet they may be given unto such as desire them by the Consistories.

XIV. Whereas the Letters sent unto this present General Council of the Reformed Churches of France, assembled at Orleance, by* 1.2 Maurice Joe∣quin, are fraught with heavy Complaints against David Vivian, Mini∣ster of Bourges, and divers others of the Consistory of the said Church; and because both Parties are absent, the said Council remands them un∣to the next approaching Provincial Synod Berry, that there the said Vi∣vian, and the other Members of the Consistory may be dealt withal as is just and sitting. In the mean while, considering the outragious and pro∣phane Words mentioned in the said Letters, and the Contumacy of the said Joequin, disdaining to come unto this present Council, after he had been law∣fully summoned, and the Threatnings contained in his Answer; divers of our Brethren having been heard on this Affair, reporting his continual Re∣bellions against the Consistory of the said Church, for near six Months toge∣ther: The Council doth injoyn the Consistory to call the said Joequin be∣fore them, and to give him a very severe Reproof for the sorementioned Crimes; and in case of his Contempt and continued Rebellion, to depose him from his Office of Deacon without delay, as also to cut him off from the Communion of the Church, and to denounce him publickly Excommu∣nicate, until such time as he shall have given publick satisfactory Evidences of his Repentance.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In the Book of Niort he is called M John Vi••ier.
• * 1.2

  The Book of Niort calls him Jod••••.